Biography

He has been involved as a volunteer artist throughout his school years including college.

After pursuing Architecture, Math, Anthropology, and Psychology in college Stephen graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1975.

It was also in 1975 when Stephen felt powerfully compelled to volunteer once more to become the artist who would portray Jesus through a new paradigm. Stephen would be the first artist to focus entirely upon the life and teachings of Jesus and do so by allowing a contemporary vision of the ongoing living presence of Jesus as He is in our midst.

It was and still is, in honor of Jesus' perfect life of service to God and His fellow men and women, that Stephen fully began to share the same faith in God and people, particularly in life's most difficult situations. Thus began Stephen's devoted life of service to others with his art.

He speaks and shares around the world the value in "Tithing your Talents".

Some of the places where Stephen has shared his testimony include England, Germany, Israel, China, France, Czechia, Canada and many places throughout the United States. He is scheduled to visit India, Denmark, and Italy in 2009.

His work has been featured on the full front page of the New York Times as well as a full segment on the TODAY Show. All told over four hundred newspapers and magazines around the world have written stories about Stephen and shown his work. There have been over one hundred interviews with radio and television shows about the transformational effect Stephen's artwork has on men and women around the globe.

Over a dozen of the ART for GOD originals were displayed in a museum in New York City for six months.

Stephen and his wife, Cindy, have the original ART for GOD Gallery and Studio in Versailles, Kentucky and an ART for GOD Gallery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There are dozens of stores that carry the ART for GOD images.

Many lives have been enriched and enhanced by the work that Stephen has done to help facilitate the unsearchable gifts that have been bestowed upon mankind through the gracious ministries of our Heavenly Father.

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"I do pretend to understand when I don’t pretend to serve."

This is my funny way of saying that I deliberately serve others without understanding who, how many, and where people will ultimately be effected by that service.

I also gladly admit that there are times when I get so involved with my part that I think I understand things and even indicate to others that I understand things when I later discover, usually in private moments of silence, that I didn't have a clue.

None of us can truly know with our five senses the ramifications of our service to others.Knowing what's in store for us and how well we did should not be our concern. Our motivation to serve others with a glad heart, in the deliberate "second mile of service" should be service for its own sake. God serves and loves us. That is why the official trademarked slogans of ART for GOD are "Serve God by Loving Man, Serve Man by Loving God" and "TITHE YOUR TALENTS"

I would like to share "first person" about me and my work. After that you can read the other stuff that was written about me. In my fifty plus years I have learned that the most important thing I can do is serve others with a glad heart.Within that one task is the greatest commandment of all to me.When Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment, that you love others as I have loved you."Jesus served and continues to serve us with a glad heart. That act of "doing" glorified the Father that dwelt within him. Yes, we can be saved by grace but Jesus said, "Do unto others...". "To do" is to act out the reality of love. Why else would God say, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."?The bedrock of Chrisitianity must oneday become living as our Master bid us. That simple yet supremely difficult command will allow God to grow freely and become inseparable from us.

My work is my singular best attempt to serve you. I am a pretty good painter. Not as good as I would like but I believe that I tell a story fairly well with my paintings.

The ICAC, my International Christian Art Competition is one of the ways I serve others by giving them help, support, and encouragement which many may not receive.

I also enjoy speaking and sharing with others and welcome the opportunity to do so even today, whether it is at a large conference or a small country church. When speaking I always present my signature experience that you should, "TITHE YOUR TALENTS". This experience launched ART for GOD. As we recall that we should not despise the day of small beginnings, trust that will use you where you are and as you are. The giving of your talents in the service of God and Man will always create opportunities for you.

Perhaps my greatest joy is my family, parents,and friends. I am truly honored and blessed to count them as part of my life. They are as much the reason that ART for GOD exists as is my Heavenly Father. I could not have done it without all of them.